My Substitute Groom (RomanoxReader)
by DetectiveLiane17
Summary: You are happy about you and your fiance, Feliciano Vargas, moving in together and getting married. But what if he can't come, Leaving you with his brother as your substitute groom? Can you stop your self for falling in love? (CountryxReader)
1. Twists

**My Substitute Groom**

**Hello there! Another story, yay :)) Please enjoy, and review!**

* * *

"(Name)" I turned my head to look at my Italian boyfriend. He took me out in a date for our second year anniversary, now we're eating in this fancy restaurant in New York. I really love him even though he's quite childish; but right now, what I see is a serious looking Feliciano Vargas, wearing a black tuxedo and a red tie. "There is something I would like to ask you."

"Anything, dear" I said as I took a sip of my red wine; to my surprise, he got down on one knee and took out a small velvet box. He slowly lifted the lid to reveal a silver ring with a small diamond placed on top.

"(Name) (Surname), we've been together for two years, and I guess this is the right time to say this." I stared at him, mouth gaping in shock. He took a deep breath and continued. "Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me?" those words changed my life dramatically; I felt tears form at the corner of my eyes.

"Yes!" I nodded, he smiled and placed the ring on my finger. I hugged him tightly and he placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Ti amo, mia bella."

* * *

That was last week, and now we're organizing things together with our friend, Francis.

"So where do you plan to get married?" Francis asked while running his finger through his silky blond hair, adding a drastic effect to his aura.

"In his hometown, in Italy, after that we will have our honeymoon in France."

"France! What a great spot for a romantic event! Can you imagine the two of you on the balcony of the hotel, drinking wine, having smiles on your faces as he slowly gets closer to you and capture your lips with his…" I smiled at the thought of my fiancé being romantic. I raised an eyebrow when the look on Francis' face changed. "-And his hand will travel to the strap of your dress, the only thing that gives you light is the moon, he look at you straight in the eye as he slowly remove your-"

"Stop." I immediately said. I almost forgot that Francis is a total romantic and passionate guy. I won't say he's a pervert, even if sometimes I thought he is, because he's kind in his own way. I saw how he treat his past girlfriends like a lady but he always gets left alone.

"Ohonhonhon~, too bad, he isn't as romantic as me, and he isn't me! You can still change your mind, (Name)" He said with a wink. Okay, he might not ba a total pervert but I admit that sometimes he can be a flirt.

"No, Francis now back to business." I said. "Catering?"

"Mine!" He replied in a snap. "Choose your color."

"Olive Green and Gold."

"Elegant!" he rubs his chin slightly, "Where's your fiancé by the way?"

"He's on a trip, a business trip" Yeah, he's on a trip somewhere; he didn't even told me when he's coming back. I just hope he can make it before the wedding which is ten days from now.

"And your flight to Italy will be the next day?"

"Yes. My family will be going two days before the event."

"Oh, good luck! Just relax and I'll organize everything."

"Thank you, Francis."

"It's nothing, now go out, shop, relax! But don't eat too much." I smiled as I went out of his office.

* * *

I headed straight to my apartment. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I felt happy to see my fiancé calling me.

"Feli?!"

"How's your day, (Name)?"

"I miss you, when are you coming back?"

There was a slight pause before he replied.

"I don't know yet, look, 'm sorry, I know things aren't going according to plan, but I'll try my best to get there." His voice sounded sad.

"No it's fine, just be safe, okay?"

"Yes I will. By the way, my brother will be accompanying you when you get to Rome."

"You have a brother?!" I'm pretty shocked; I don't know that he has one.

"Yes, a twin brother, in fact."

"Oh my, this will be exciting, what's his name?"

"Lovi, Lovino Vargas." That name sounds familiar.

"I see.." There's that silence again. "Do you still have the box where the ring was placed?"

"Of course, why?"

"Have you seen what's written on it?" I took the box from the drawer beside my bed. I look at the back portion and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh.."

"See it now?"

"Made in China."

"No!" He immediately snapped. "I mean the one on top." I flipped the box and red the small writings at the lid.

"Destiny will always find a way." I smiled as those words came out from my mouth.

"I'll be back, okay?" He said, I felt something unusual, it's like I have to worry. "Okay then, I love you, Ciao."  
"I love you, too." I said before he can hang up.

"Right now, I have to rest." I smiled as I drifter off to sleep.

* * *

This is it, I'm in Rome! I smiled and walked confidently in my green sundress and red stilettos. I turned to look at the people waiting for their companion's arrival. I flipped my phone open and dialled Lovino's number which is given by Feli. I stood near a post as I heard the ringing sound.

"Ciao?" A thick accented voice answered.

"Hello, Lovino?" I heard him swear a bit.

"What are you wearing?"

"A green sundress and-"

"Got it." He immediately cut our conversation; I stared at my phone in disbelief.

"How rude!" I was about to dial his number again when I heard a voice behind me.

"Oy, ragazza!" I turned to see a man who look exactly like Feli, except, he has his curl on the other side, and he looks more.. manly. He carried my baggage without permission. So much for my first impression. "What are you, some stupid statue? Hurry up, we still have a long way to go." He just called me stupid! I scowled at him as I heard him chuckle. Great, the Italian can laugh. I followed him to his Ferrari. We sat there without uttering a word; we didn't even look at each other. We reached a small house with a tomato garden in front; he got out of the car without even accompanying me. He led the way inside; his house is surprisingly organized, except for the pizza boxes on the table. He gestured me to a room.

"You're going to stay here, if you need something just knock at the door over there." I looked at the room, it's very spacious, and the combination of brown and white made it look cozy.

"Thank you!" I smiled at him, his cheek is tinted red, I can't help but giggle.

"What?!" He hissed.

"Don't you think we should get along? I mean, I'm going to be your younger sister, right."

"Let me think about it." he said as he pushed me to the room and closed the door. "Get ready, Mr. Bonnefoy will be meeting us later."

"That idiot is in Italy?!" I said in shock.

"Oh, is he an idiot, too? That makes it two idiots in the restaurant later." He said. "Why of course he's here, who do you think will take care of things?" I crashed the door open as he gave me an 'oh you're done' look.

"Let's go."

I hope I can survive the remaining one week with my fiancé's brother.

* * *

"Francis!" I rushed to the blond haired man and gave him a big hug. "Why didn't you tell me that you're coming?"

"Well, isn't it automatic?" He stared over my shoulder. "Now who's that guy?" I turned to see the ill tempered Italian with one hand on his pocket, his other hand's twirling his car keys, he's wearing an unbuttoned polo shirt but still have a white shirt underneath, the wind is blowing his hair side wards. Now why is it that he looks so cool right now? I snapped out of my thoughts. It would be great if he's kind. I gasped when I saw him winked at a foreigner who just passed by. What a flirt! My eyebrows furrowed.

"That's my fiancé's twin brother." I said in a monotone.

"What? He looks far cooler than Feli."

"Yea, and rude."

We all sat down when Lovino joined us. We talked about the people to be invited and some other things. My phone rang, interrupting us. I answered the call from Feli.

"Hello?"

"(Name)" This isn' Feli's voice..

"Ludwig?"

"Yes, I have something to tell you.. About Feli.." I feel my heart pounding hardly on my chest.

"I'm afraid he can't come.."

"What happened?" I said in shock. "Ludwig, tell me what happened?!" I saw Lovino and Francis staring at me with concern.

"Calm down! He just-" I was about to cry when I heard a 'Vee!' at the background. "Ludwig, is that, Feli?"

"Yes, I told you to calm down right? He fell on the stairs yesterday and broke his arm and feet, that's why he can't come." I let out a sigh of relief

"For how long?"

"A few months or so?"

"Can I speak to him?" I heard some rustling, like the phone's being passed.

"Ve~ (Name), it really hurts."

"I'm glad you're fine, just rest okay?"

"How about the wedding?" There was a silence. "We can't postpone it now, our friends from different countries set aside their works to travel all the way to Italy," He's right. Even my friend, Arthur, who is very busy, took a leave for five days jus to attend. Even my parents. I can't let them travel that far, back and forth.

"I don't know." I said in a cracked voice.

"Shh.. Everything will be fine. Just don't tell anyone about my condition, kay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Now I have to get going for my therapy, okay?" We gave each other our goodbyes as I turned to Francis and Lovino.

"So, what's with the drama, ragazza?"

"Feli can't come."

"What?!" They both said. I explained everything to them.

"Only my idiot brother would fall down the stairs and break an arm and a leg." I shot Lovino with my death glare.

"it's too late to postpone the wedding." Francis said. I nodded in agreement.

"But how can we continue without a groom?" I saw Francis' lips curve up to a smile. He's looking at Lovino, and then turns his eyes to me.

"Hey lover boy, can you take the place of your twin brother for a while?" Lovino and I looked at each other, both our faces are red.

"What are you thinking?" I said.

"I mean, they look the same, we'll just tell your parents that Feli has been working out and turned into a hottie." I raised an eyebrow at him. "We can tell our closest friends about this, but not your parents. And if I mean closest friends, I mean those who know about Feli's twin brother."

"Toni, Belle, Ludwig, Gilbert, Roderich and Elizaveta. Those are our only mutual friends. The rest of his friends were out there."

"Great, now everything's settled!"

"I haven't agreed yet!" The Italian whined but Francis didn't mind. I'm still stunned about the plot.

"Tomorrow, same time, same place, we're going to try on some wedding dress." Francis told me, and he turned to Lovino. "And a tuxedo for you." He winked. He immediately stood up from his seat and walked away, leaving me and Lovino alone. Dumbfounded.

_I hope things will turn out to be fine._


	2. Choosing the Right Dress

_Hello there! Sorry it took long before I updated. I had a hard time because I have to focus on our last examination week._

_So, here it is. i hope you enjoy. _

* * *

**My Substitute Groom C2: The Right Dress**

"Too revealing." I growled at Francis for letting me try on a strapless white dress which shows a bit of skin on the sides of the waist and extends a few inches below my knees. I love how the color gradually changes into a dark shade of brown as it reaches the hem of the skirt, but it's made for other occasions, not for a wedding, and definitely not for a bride!

"But (Name), you look splendid! Just look how it matches your silver heels." I shot him a glare.

"Well, I want to wear something more... decent? Or anything like that."

The Frenchman rolled his eyes as I walked out of the dressing room, being greeted by the enormous mirrored walls. The combination of the fluorescent and warm colored lights complemented my (s/c) skin. The dress hugs my figure perfectly, it is indeed beautiful...

"What on earth are you wearing?" I heard a thick accented voice, it sounds awfully familiar that it made my eyes roll in frustration. Of course, it must be him. I turned to look at the grumpy Italian; he's covering his flustered face with his hand. My eyes darted on what he's wearing, a Charcoal Gray, single buttoned tuxedo matched with a plain red tie. Undeniably, it looks good on him.

"I-It's Francis who made me wear this dress." I finally answered after a few seconds of staring.

"It's too revealing, idiota." He finally came back to his usual self.

"Well it's not my fault!" I answered in a louder voice, still trying to keep my composure. The moments of silence and glares was cut off by Francis.

"Ohh, Lovi~ you look so good in your tuxedo." He said while getting close to the Italian, examining every detail of his suit. I can see Lovino's eyebrow slowly meeting. "You definitely have to take that, and as for you, (Name)" He slowly walked to my position and shoved me a bunch of white dresses. "You have to try on all of those until you find what you're looking for."

"E-eh? All of these?" He pushed me back to the fitting room.

"Yes, you asked for it." He said as he gave me a wink and a tap at my bottom. I stepped at his foot and watched him hissed in pain.

"Get out!" I said as I closed the door. _Really, that Frenchman._

I tried on different kinds of dresses-and of course, it always end up by receiving various comments from Lovino like..

"Too fluffy."

"Too long. You'll definitely trip on that."

"Too white."

"Too much design."

"It looks bad."

I sighed rather loudly for the nth time. This is the last dress left and those other dresses consumed a lot of time. I stared at the dress, it looks good, but something's wrong. "Well, I guess I have to try this on."

* * *

I slightly opened the door and took a peek. The two men are sitting comfortably at the bean couches in front. The blond man finally noticed me.

"Hey, why don't you step out of the cubicle?" I slowly opened the door, revealing a haltered white dress with a black ribbon around the waist. Its ruffled skirt extends down to my knees on the front, yet much longer at the back. My arms are crossed below my chest, pressing it to my stomach firmly. "It looks good on you!" Francis said, clasping his hands, eyes glistening with pride, he has this _'I chose that dress'_ aura. "What do you think, Lovi?" He turned to the Italian.

"It's fine." He answered in a monotone, and so far, that's the best compliment that he gave me.

"Francis.." my scowl deepened "I bet you know what's wrong with this dress, right?"

"E-eh? But I think backless is fine!"

"But not to the point that my whole back is exposed!" I'm not exaggerating things, even when I face the side; it shows a lot of skin.

"Ohonhonhon~ It has its own purpose! You know that the ceremony is long, so it prevents people from sleeping during the event!"

A knock was heard from the door of the mirrored room, a feminine voice was heard.

"Excuse me? Ma'am are you done?"

"Almost!" I said, loud enough for my voice to reach the other side.

"Uhmm.. We're already closing.."

"E-eh? Already?" Oh that's right, this store closes before nighttime. "Just let me change into my clothes, okay?"

"Of course." She replied.

I closed the door of the cubicle and began to change into my casual clothes. I gathered all the dresses that Francis suggested. Too bad neither of these was chosen. I went out of the shop together with my two companions. Lovino has bought the tuxedo he wore last time.

"So, tomorrow again? And also we'll have to organize some things as well." Francis said.

"Yes, yes. Just promise me you won't choose those kinds of dresses again."

"Fine." I saw him rolled his eyes. "Now have fun on your way home!" He said while waving goodbye, pressing the remote of his silver-colored Porsche.

"Now what do you mean by have fun." I mumbled.

I turned to Lovino who is now in his Ferrari. I opened the door to the front passenger's seat.

"We haven't found the right dress, eh?" He said without looking at me, it's quite shocking since he started a nice conversation with me. Earlier this morning, he just left me some bacon and eggs at the table, together with the coffee at the coffee maker, but didn't join me while eating. He just spent the morning at his tomato garden. I let out a sigh.

"Yes, maybe tomorrow, I guess?"

"Why not now?" He turned to me, smirking. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think we can find a store at this time?"

"Nope, we're going to my grandpa's house."

"E-eh? But why?"

"You'll know later." I never got to see their grandpa, even though Feli showed me a picture of him at his young days, I never had a chance to see him in person. Now to think about it, what will I say to him once we get there? How can I explain this mess? "Don't worry, I already told him what happened." Lovino spoke just in time I opened my mouth to ask him. I sighed in relief.

"Thank you." I said even though I know he won't respond. He pulled the lever and drove in a gradually increasing pace.

"You're welcome.." he mumbled, yet loud enough for me to hear. How nice, we're finally getting along. That's what I thought but then I heard that word again. "…Idiota." I furrowed my eyebrows at him and he just let out a small chuckle. After a few minutes of silence, the car finally stopped in front of a incredibly large house, or it's already a villa? It's so huge- three stories, with an extra floor for the attic. It's like three times wider than Lovi's house. It has a marbled front porch and a garden of Daisies beside a small manmade pond.

We got out of the car; he guided me through the front porch and knocked at the door.

"Just stay there and I'll park the car."

I nodded. After a few seconds, the door cracked open; a small child around four years old, wearing a pink dress gave me a long stare, narrowing her eyes and moving her head up and down as if she's examining me. She looks so cute! She has the same eyes as Lovino and also the same curl, but she looks fluffier and definitely cuter.  
"Oh, hello there, cute one." I said as I patted her head

"Grandpa said don't talk to strangers.." She mumbled in a cute voice, looking at the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, I'm (Name)" She grabbed my hand and played with my fingers. "Now I'm not a stranger, am I?" I giggled. "What's your name?"

"They call me Chibi Romano because I look and acts like my cousin when he's younger." Romano? I never heard that name. I kneeled down to her level when I felt her tug on my sleeve.

"hmm?"

"Can you give me a kiss?" She asked- her eyes are sparkling.

"Why not" I said as I kissed her forehead and letting out a small smile. She gave me a small pout.

"This one hurts." She said pointing on her pouting lips.

"Now do you want me to give that a kiss?" Her face reddened, it can be compared to the tomatoes that grow on Lovi's garden.

"uhh.. uhmm.." She began to shake a little.

"Embracing your inner Italian, eh? Little one?" I heard those perfectly pronounced Italian words. I learned how to speak in Italian during my college days. I turned my head to see Lovino, and turned back my head to the small child. She is a miniature of Lovino. She gave me a blink or two before running inside and shouting some Italian words.

"Cousin Romano has brought home a bride!" he said, and repeating it many times. It took me a few seconds before its meaning registered in my mind.

"Eh? No, it's not-" I saw a girl with a ponytail, and a girl with a headband peeked from a room. The girl with a ponytail reminds me of Feli. I smiled a bit at the sight of her honey-colored orbs and innocent smile. She's around the age of fourteen. The other one looks like the girl version of Romano, her red-colored nails signals me that we'll get along; she looks like eighteen for me.

"Brava! Romano has brought a beautiful bride!" The girl who looked like Feliciano said as she ran towards me and gave me a hug.

"Idiota! You're scaring her." The other woman said "Romano must've put something on her drink, there's no way my cousin would get someone as beautiful as her."

I blushed at their comments. But to my surprise, they don't even know about what's happening.

"Now all of you, would you please stop blocking the way." Lovino said.

They quickly dragged me inside the house. They were randomly talking to me about how fluffy my (h/c) hair is, and also how soft my skin is-all of those according to them. Now I know it's true that Italians are good in making you feel beautiful. We stopped when we saw a tall man with a good muscular built came in the scene, He has a very small curl sticking at the bottom portion of his head, he has this olive skin and a handsome face, he's carrying two children, one's Chibi Romano, and the other one's wearing a green dress and has a cute smile. This family has quite the same faces.

"I told you, grandpa, Romano has brought home a bride." I saw Chibi Romano said, tugging at his grandpa's sleeves. He's already a grandfather of 6 children? If I were to predict his age I'll think his around twenty-seven to thirties!

"G-Good evening, sir. I'm (Name) (Surname) from (Country)." I said politely in a perfect Italian. I heard him chuckle as he put down the two children.

"I've heard a lot about you, no need to be formal, you can call me grandpa." He said, pulling me into a hug. It made me warm inside. I feel so accepted. He pulled away and led us to the dining room. "I haven't told the children, yet, I'm sorry about the misunderstanding."

"No, it's fine, they're young." I said with a smile. He told the two children to play at their rooms, while he let the two girls, Daisy, the girl with a ponytail and Katarina, the girl who looks like Lovino, stay. He explained our situation to them. We didn't include the children because they're too young to understand.

"Vee~ that's bad. I really thought you were with Romano." Daisy said, looking at the ground. "But good luck with the plan!"

"Hmpf! The idea of you falling for Romano is impossible, but for someone to fall with that idiota? Ow-. Romano? Just when I'm on your side." Katarina said. They exchanged a few glares but then Lovino ruffled her hair.

"You've got some colorful words." He said.

"Look who's talking." She replied, pouting.

"Anyway, grandpa, we have a reason why we came here." Lovino said, turning to grandpa.

"What is it?" The man asked.

"(Name) haven't chosen a wedding dress yet, and I'm thinking of following the tradition.." He said in a rather low voice. His grandpa smiled.

"It's nice to see my eldest grandson getting serious about relationships." He said, making the young man blush. "Oh, I mean. It's good to see him concerned in this situation, he rarely associate with anyone or with anything unless it's about tomatoes and gunshooting." He chuckled. "Now let me get that precious thing.." He said before walking towards the stairs. Lovino followed him. I let out a small sigh. I felt the two girls sat closer to me.

"Hey, hey, if you'll have a trait that you want to transfer from Romano to Feli, what would that be?" I was rather shocked at the question brought up by Katarina. Before I got a chance to answer, Daisy asked me another question.

"Romano suggested that the precious dress will be passed to you, what do you feel?" and now before I was about to answer, Lovino and grandpa went down from the stairs, getting our attention. Grandpa handed me a box.

"Try it." He said with a big grin.

The girls led me to a spare room and helped me try on the dress. It's simply beautiful. It's pure white. It has a corset which fits my upper body perfectly, a strap adorned with flowers as a design is hanging at my right shoulder. It has a slanted patter of ruffles that extend below my waist and to my ankles. And lastly, a small tiara with a long veil was placed at the top of my head. It's beautiful, simple, yet elegant.

I slowly walked to the room where grandpa and Lovino are waiting. I saw Lovino's eyes widen, and grandpa's face lit up in joy.

"Beautiful.. It's yours now." Grandpa said, smiling.

"B-but I'm just borrowing it."

"No, it's an honor to pass down wedding dresses." He stood up. "The last one who wore that is my daughter, Roma's mother, and the first one is my wife. I almost had forgotten how beautiful that dress was, especially on those two days." His amber eyes showed a glassy sheen."But still, it's good that they left me good memories." I can feel him because of his words.

"Thank you, grandpa." I said, smiling. I'm trying to make him smile as well.

"Now I have a new granddaughter." He chuckled "Why don't you stay in for the night?"

"Sounds good to me." I said.

"Go on and borrow some clothes from Katarina. You must be tired." I nodded and followed the girl to her room. I changed into a pink tank top and shorts, they just gave me this and led me to the guest room. Shortly, after I changed, I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to reveal the two teenage girls with their pillows.

"Hello! We're sleeping with you tonight, if it's alright?" Daisy said.

"Of course! Come in." The two giggled as they sat on the bed. "So what brings you here?"

"Well, we want to ask you some questions!"

"Okay. So, first?"

"How did you met Feliciano?" Katarina asked, resting her chin at her pillow.

"hmm..?" I smiled as I remembered that day. "Let's just say that, he's a hero to me. He saved me so many times." I giggled; I'm feeling that I'm also a teenager.

"A hero?" Daisy said.

"I'm from the first day of my work that time and it's my first time taking the train. I don't have any idea how crowded it is in there. So the moment when I got in, I got squished by many people, I felt like I'm going to collapse. But then suddenly I felt someone grab my wrist. Of course, at first I thought it's a bad guy, but what he did is he let me stand on a corner while he is leaning closely to me. I was about to grab my pepper spray that time, but when I noticed that he's protecting me from the swarm of people. I wouldn't forget that lazy curl that sticks up stubbornly at his head." I heard Daisy giggle.

"One day, I'm going to fall in love in a strange way as well!" She said.

"So let's continue?" I asked, they both nodded. "That curl is also familiar to me ever since I was young; I'm taking a vacation in Spain, that time at my Grandma's place. Back then, I love playing hide and seek, and I'm eager to win so I hid in a strange shed. It's almost an hour, yet no one still found me. I stayed there until it rained. Loud thunderstorms made me shake in fear and burst into tears. And that time a strange boy came in and asked me if I'm alright. He stayed with me and hummed me a happy tune until I fall asleep." But I can't remember anything about him except for that curl. But still, I considered him my first love."

"Ohhh.. Destiny. Everything happened coincidentally." Daisy said. "But how did you confirm that it was him?"

"It's when I saw a nervous man at a coffee shop. I noticed his curl right away, and I didn't let the moment pass to ask his name."

"What if you're wrong?" Katarina asked "I mean what if it's not him." It made me think.

"Well, it's alright. What's important is what we have right now." I smiled at her.

"You mean right now, you have Romano.." _Wow, that girl is blunt!_

"Nope, I mean, what me and Feliciano feel for each other right now. What's important is the feeling that you feel."  
"Even though you're far away from each other?"

"That's the time that you can test your love. If it gets stronger, then it's true."

"If you haven't?" I froze for a second. What if all this time I had fallen for the idea of falling in love because of my 'hero' thing? Am I that childish or just naive? No. I love him. A lot.

"Everything's gonna be fine." I smiled. "Now you two should go to sleep, or else you'll suffer because of acne breakouts." The two immediately followed what I said. I 'm thinking of calling Feli, but I guess, I'll just have to leave him a message.

_'I love you.'_

I pressed the send button and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Why don't we have a drink, Romano?"

"It's been a long time." Romano said as he took a seat. Grandpa Rome gave him a glass of wine before sitting at his opposite side.

"It must be hard on you, to get married for no reason."

"I'm just doing them a favor, especially for the favorite one."

"Lovi, I never favored anyone." He look at Lovino in the eye, the young man just looked away. "I'm sorry about the things that happened before, when your parents separated and took Feli, while you stayed at a friends' house. I should've taken you here earlier."

"It's not your fault.." He said, taking a sip of his red wine.

"I'm apologizing on behalf of my daughter, your mother; Clarissa is too young to reflect that time."

"That's why I avoid relationships. No one can stay together without problems and fights."

"And nothing's gonna end if one easily gives up." Grandpa immediately said while rolling the wine around the glass with his hand. Lovino just sighed in defeat. "And I just want to tell you, that everything happens for a reason. Just be free and fall in love. You'll have a wedding of your own. Everything will be just fine."

Lovino just stared at the table, blankly. _'Everything happens for a reason'_. He chuckled._ 'What a sharp turn.'_.

* * *

"Thank you for letting us stay, grandpa!" I told him, grinning. The two children tugged my sleeve. I bent my knees and they kissed me on my cheek. "So sweet." I hugged them tightly.

"It means that you should visit more often!"Grandpa said with a chuckle

"Of course!" I waved them goodbye as I went inside Lovino's car. I looked at him after he started to drive.

"What?"

"So, you're Romano?"

"Yea, so what."

"They told me that you're like Chibi Romano when you're younger." I gave him an odd smile.

"Yes. I would agree to that also."

"Then it means that you like getting kisses!" I felt the sudden stop and banged my head to the glass."Ow! It hurts!" The car slowly moved again.

"It's not like that." He said, his face is red now, just like when I first met Chibi Romano. I laughed at him as we exchanged words. I felt my phone vibrate.

"Wait, someone's calling." I pressed the green button. "Hello?"  
"(Name)!"

"Dad?!" Once again the car stopped with a screech, I managed to keep my head from hitting something. Romano parked at the side and I continued talking.

"We have a surprise for you, dear."

"What's that, dad?"

"A surprise visit to Italy! We're taking a tour now, later we'll go to your place, just send me the address, kay?" He hanged up just before I'm about to oppose. I looked at Romano.

"It's not good is it?"

"Definitely not."

"Don't tell me.."

"They're here.. in Italy."

"Holy Shit." He said in his native tongue.


	3. Are We in Good Terms?

_**I missed you guys soo much! I'm very sorry for making you wait. Our review sessions are gonna end on May 27-Probably I'll be able to update by then. Thank you so much for reading this story and also for those who left their reviews. Grazie!~ I'm very sorry if I haven't responded to your reviews due to lack of time. I'm very sorry. So now let me take this opportunity to thank you all-KagamineRin81, TheDeadOne28, Lurking Pheonix, NinjalyJen, Paige, CoreOfBlossom~ Thank you very much! :) You're all awesome!**_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Are We in Good Terms?**

_I love you too, (Name). So how's it going? There's only seven days left before the wedding. I'm doing fine here since Ludwig is helping me for the therapy, but still, I feel really bad for leaving you there.  
-Feliciano_

We have a few hours left. Probably my parents would still hang out a little in this foreign place. I just sit comfortably at the front seat as the Italian drives his car in a fast pace. I'm actually thinking of excuses, different ideas are running through and fro my mind and I'm hoping that this man beside me has a plan.

To think about it, my parents only saw Feli via Skype since they're living in a different state. They prefer to live in a quiet urban place than in the loud, smoke-filled city-as they described; while I prefer in living in the city of opportunities since it's the best thing for my career.

I turn my head at the side to see different Roman architectures and identical streetlamps through the tinted window-then eventually that familiar house as the car's pace slows down. I reach for the rectangular box which holds the white dress given to me by Grandpa Romulus. I slip out of the car together with Lovino. We both haven't spoken a single word since both of us are deep in thought. We walk past his well-cared Tomato Garden and to the porch. I can see his brown eyes slowly narrowing as he examines the door.

"Something's wrong." Lovino says with his deep, serious voice.

He pushes the door with his right hand. _It's unlocked. Not even closed properly._ We both watch as it creaks open. I gape my mouth at the big mess- Pizza boxes and soda cans scattered on the center table; socks and shoes lying on the ground and the dark green tuxedo sofa seems to be occupied a few moments ago. Good thing those tomato red casement curtains are still in place.

"What happened here?" I ask-my (e/c) eyes still scanning the room.

I take a step inside the tiled house. A man peeks from the divider at the kitchen's side. He has this sun-kissed skin and chocolate brown wavy locks. His dark lashes highlight his forest green eyes and made them seem to sparkle. His mouth curved into a cheery smile as his lips part to speak.

"Welcome home, my little Tomato!~" He step out and walk towards us. He's wearing a casual gray shirt and a pair of navy blue jeans. I hear a grunt from the grumpy Italian beside me.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Lovino says as he crosses his arms.

"Just a surprise visit." I see his eyes turn to me just when I hear a woman's voice from the kitchen. "Oh, and I brought Belle and Tim with me" he says with a cocky grin.

A girl wearing a casual baby blue T-shirt and skinny jeans walk out from the kitchen, she must be cooking since she's holding a batter-covered whisk on her right hand. Her bright green eyes and sweet smile gives me a good impression. She seems to be a sweet girl. A man with a tall stature and blonde hair walks with her. They might be related since they somehow resemble each other in some angles.

"Lovi!" The girl says as she waves her hand-still holding the whisk. Her head turns to me. She blinks for a second before giving be a cute grin. "You've got a cute girlfriend here, _Lo-vi-no_."

"Wah! You're already replacing me?!~" the boy says jokingly. His lips form a small pout. I can feel my temperature rising. The heat creeping from my neck to my cheeks. I'm still not used to this. My heart still leaps because of people's misunderstandings.

"B-bastardo! I-It's not like she's my girlfriend or something." Lovino stutters. His face is red as his beloved tomatoes. "W-why don't you just listen for a while, damnit."

Lovino kicks some soda cans as he walks towards the sofa. I follow him and sit at the same couch while the three sit at the opposite direction. Lovino introduced me before both of us turn to explain everything. Every time I take a glance at their faces, they keep on giving a confused look-just like what I'm expecting.

"So you're saying that you agreed to be a 'decoy groom' without most of the guests knowing?" the girl says as she gasps.

"It's much better than postponing the wedding. Everyone's waiting for that day." Lovino answers. He already got used in explaining our situation. "And also, Feliciano doesn't want anyone to know his situation." Lovino pinches the bridge of his nose.

"So now you're telling that _both of you_ are stuck at the situation because of the sudden accident." The boy with brown locks concluded. "Well, it's kind of complicated, but it's actually better than messing the whole celebration up and letting the people freak out." He continues as he strokes his chin.

"And it's quite expensive since you already paid for some stuffs." The tall man speaks for the first time. I notice a small scar at his forehead when he turned down his head to tug on his loose blue scarf, which is actually has the same shade as the girl's headband.

"By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves properly yet, haven't we?" The girl said as she strikes a pose with her whisk. "I'm Belle! I'm a friend of Lovi, and this is Tim, my big brother." She says while pointing at the man with blond hair beside her who just gave me a small glance and a nod which I return immediately.

"I'm Antonio Carriedo~. But you can call me Toni instead." The man with brown hair says. "It's very nice to meet you, chica."

"It's very nice to meet you, too." I say with a smile. No one speaks after that. Silence fills the room-making it a bit awkward. All I can hear is the ticking of the clock.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tic-_

I gasp a bit loud-loud enough to get all of their attentions. I immediately take my cellphone out to look at the single unread message at the inbox. _It's from my mom._

_Hi sweetie, can you pick us up at the Spanish Steps? We'll wait for you near the small fountain around here.  
- -Mom_

"My parents are already asking me to pick them up." I say with my eyes wide open in shock-still facing the small device. I gulp as I scan the messy room. Tim, Belle and Toni notice my nervousness, they exchange glances and grin.

"We'll take care of everything here!" Belle says.

"Don't worry chica! Just go on and pick your parents up." Toni adds as he grabs Lovino's arm-making the Italian twitch his eyebrows. "And leave this young man to us!" He gives me an assuring wink.

"But how can I get to the Spanish Steps if no one will drive?" I say as I stand up to fix my slightly wrinkled clothes.

"Tim will drive you there." Belle says as she pulls Tim from the seat.

"What?" Tim exclaims. Belle gives him her best puppy look and pout. His brother just growls at her actions. "Okay." He mutters lowly.

"Go now, we'll take care of things from here." Toni says, still holding the grumpy Italian. Tim and I walk out of the house as Toni hands us the car keys. I turn back for a last glance, only to see the door being shut close.

I'm not sure about what they're planning, but _maybe_ I can trust them.  
Tim gets inside Lovino's red car while I just stand outside and think of possible things that may happen. _Everything will be just fine, right?_ I just shrug and get inside to the front seat. I'm about to close the door when-

"BASTARDO! LET GO OF ME!"

_Okay,, maybe just a little._

* * *

Spanish Steps. _Stunning._ I look up at the stairs, it looks better in actual than in the pictures. I didn't expect these stairs to be _this_ wide! Well, blame the perspective of the photo in a magazine article. My parents are so lucky to see many places in Rome in just one day. Not to mention, there are also a few people today. I'm glad that I can see this vacant place and its beauty alone.

I feel like I'm walking by myself. Tim is too quiet even though his presence is quite intimidating. After a few minutes of wandering and walking around this wonderful place, I catch a glimpse of a familiar (h/c)-headed woman. Her style and choice of clothes; the way her dreamy (e/c) eyes scan the area. There's no doubt about it, it's my mother.

It's been months since I saw her. I feel chills, and as if there's something pulling inside of me because of excitement. I wave at her, still unable to speak, trying to get her attention. Her head turn to my side. After a few seconds of staring at each other, she immediately stands up and walks towards my direction-half walking-half running.

"It has been a long time" She says as she wraps her arms around me, squeezing tightly as seconds pass. "And I can't believe that you're already getting married."

"Save the drama for the big day, hun." I pull away to look at my father who's holding two cups of gelato. "How's my girl?"

"I'm fine, dad." I smile at him and give him a big hug. His chuckles make some tickling vibrations.

"Feli? When did you dye your hair?" My father says as he pulls away. I raise an eyebrow. _Feli?_. I turn around to see my father walking towards Tim who has a neutral expression in his face.

"E-eh?! Dad, it's not Feli!" I say, still a bit embarrassed. "He's a friend, his name is Tim."  
"Oh, I see! Well it's nice to meet you, Tim." He shakes his hand, like the usual thing he does at his own acquaintances. "Then where's _that guy?_"

"You mean Lo-" _No._ "F-Feli?" I cleared my throat before continuing. "He's at home. Yes. I mean. He's preparing for your arrival!" They both nod in agreement

"Don't tell me the two of you are in bad terms?" My mom says with concern.

"No! Not at all! In fact, we're in _very_ good terms!" I say-trying not to stutter. "Shall we go?" I ask before they can add anything else.

We walk to where the car is parked. This time I can hear Tim and my parents talking about 'business and finance'-to be specific, they are talking about real estates and quality of living in Netherlands. I never thought that I am walking with a businessman all this time!

"What a cool car you got here, Tim!" My dad says as he pats the red surface of the Ferrari.

"Actually, it's not mine." Tim says. "It's Vargas' car." He continues with a slight tune of uncertainty. My father nods as we get inside the car, little did he know that he's talking about the other Vargas. _What a smart answer._

After a few minutes of driving and talking, the car turns to a familiar street. I drum my fingers at my lap. I laugh and chat with them-but inside, I'm actually nervous. _Really nervous_. Flashbacks of the messy house and loud voices make me bite my bottom lip. My stomach is turning as the familiar line of houses and identical streetlights catch my attention. I'm mentally ordering Tim to slow down a bit, but no; the house is only a few steps away. Tim parks the car in front of the house-the usual spot.

We slip out of the car. I take slow steps in walking towards the house-till we reach that wooden door. I take a glance at Tim, he's just comfortably standing there and talking to my parents who decided that they will take a look at the real estates in Netherlands.

_One thing I knew about Tim: He's a good sales talker._

Now back to my situation. I'm currently standing at the front porch, thinking twice before opening the door. Beads of sweat forming at my temples. My palms sweating in nervousness. _This is it._

_Once I open this door-the whole act begins. No more Lovino. No twin brother. No decoy groom. I have to look at him as Feli-my very own fiancé._

_Although… It doesn't sound right. Not at all._

_But in what way?_

I lift my hand to grasp the doorknob-but then I hear a clicking sound. I stare at the shaking doorknob. The door slowly creaks open. I turn my head up to see who's at the other side. My heart skips a beat. _It's him._ It's not Feli, his smile is different. Feliciano's smile is _innocent._ While his? It's different. It's natural and far from his usual sneers and smirks. It's… His very own smile.

This moment the time freezes, I get to see another side of him. This very moment the wooden door which separates us opens-I get to know him better. A side of Lovino "Romano" Vargas which no one will see except for /ime./i Maybe. Just _maybe_, this whole act will work out after all.

Lovino let us in with a smile. He didn't curse. He greets my parents with respect. His eyebrows are not meeting this time. Right now I'm walking inside his house, making my way towards his green sofa. I can hear their voices but I doubt I understand a thing. I can hear a chuckle. _His_ chuckle. Our eyes meet in an instant. In that second, I thought I saw him smile at me.

_I smiled back at him. Unconsciously._

"It's really nice seeing you in person, _Feliciano_" my father says. I intently look at Lovino. Because I know it _hurts_, to be called as someone who isn't you. But he just looks at them. "My daughter told me a lot about _you_."

"It's really nice meeting you, sir." He replies.

"No, son, call me dad." His eyes let out an unfamiliar sheen. For a second, he freezes, then after, his mouth forms a soft smile as that word came out of his mouth.

"Dad."

"Are you cooking something?" My mother says as she points at the checkered green apron Lovino is wearing. I bite my lower lip in the attempt of stopping my laughter.  
"Ah, yes." He says. He blushes as soon as he saw my smug grin as I stare at him. "In fact, I'm cooking along with my two friends. I hope you like _pasta._" His eyes avert theirs as he says the last word.

"Yes! We love different kinds of pasta." My mom says as she clasps her hands together.

"(Name) told us that cooking and eating pasta is your passion, it's great that we have something in common."

We walk to the dining area with Lovino's guide. I inhale the intoxicating scent of basil and tomatoes that fill the air and let out a hum of delight. I see Toni holding a tray of pasta; he's smiling at us as he places the food at the dining table.

"Ah! You must be (Name)'s parents." Toni says as he introduces his self. Belle comes in holding a plate full of waffles. She smiles as she introduces herself as well

"I made some Belgian Waffles!~" Belle says as she invites us to get some. "It's the original recipe from my motherland. Belgium!"

My mother takes a bite at the circular waffle. I look at her as she lets out a hum and tells us to try it as well. She praise Belle and they talk about more recipes. It seems that my parents already like _our friends_.

We talk about many things while eating pasta and waffles. The table has four pairs of chairs-as if they're prepared for my parents' arrival. I'm sitting next to my mother while my father is sitting at her right side. Lovino is sitting at the opposite side with the others. I'm glad Lovino knows many things about Feli. Well of course, he is his twin brother.

"Dear, are you sure you're in good terms?" My mother leans towards me to whisper in my ear in an unsuspecting manner.

"Of course." I whisper back "Why?"

"The two of you haven't spoken to each other since we arrived. You're even sitting on opposite sides." She replies as she brought the fork closer to her mouth.

"Well… We're just." I think of possible words to complete my sentence. "shy?"

"Oh." She giggles. "No need to be shy, hun."

"By the way, (Name), your mother and I thought of staying over this place." My father blurts out as an interval to their conversation. I almost choke on the food which I forgot to chew. I gulp the thin strands of pasta before intently looking at Lovino-who also has the same shocked reaction.

"Well, that would be fine." I say with a hint of question at the last word-still looking at the Italian who just raised his eyebrow. I don't want my parents to be suspicious.

"Oh, and one more thing." My father continues, "We're looking forward to meeting your grandfather." He says it as easy as that. Little did he know that his decisions send shivers down to our spines. We just smiled. Yep, we just smiled.

_What are we going to do?_

* * *

_7:23pm_

We survived the first five hours of my parents' continuous questions and demands. Right now, Lovino and I are sitting at his green couch, with a respectable distance between us. My parents just went out to take a tour around the place. Lovino's house is just a few blocks away from the city-meaning the cafes, shops, parks and beautiful lights. I let out a sigh and rest the back of my head at the throw pillow that's supporting my upper back.

Belle, Toni and Tim went back to their places an hour ago. They told us earlier that they're going to come back tomorrow. Even if I just met them hours ago, they already proved me that they are trustworthy. They helped me a lot.

"My mother thinks that we're not in good terms." I say. This is the perfect time to talk about our _act_ since my parents are out. "Don't you think we have to act a bit more… closer?"

His head turn to look at me, then back at the table in front of him. I can notice him biting his lower lip. His eyebrows are meeting together as if he's thinking. "Closer how?"

"Closer…" I shift my position so I can look at him better. It's a bit awkward to bring up these topics to him. "Just like other couples would do. I mean, you can treat me as your girlfriend in front of them," _I just said those things as if it's as easy as eating cake._

"Yeah."

"You experienced having a girlfriend, right?"

"Yes." He looks at me with an elbow resting at the pillow. I felt a loud thump in my chest- Something heavy when he gave me that response. I don't know why.. "So, you're talking about display of affection?"

"Something like that?" I avert my eyes. Why do I feel so flustered? "We have to do this as soon as my parents arrive."

"Well." He starts. "Like this?"

I can feel something warm pressed in my palms. I look down at my left hand only to see his long, slender fingers intertwine with mine. I can feel something stirring inside my stomach as my heart speeds up its beating pace. I slowly turn my head to look at him. He is looking down at our hands with his mouth tightly sealed. His cheeks are painted with shades of pink and red. I can barely see those half lidded brown eyes which are slightly covered by his jet brown hair. For a second, I thought I can hear his pulse. _Or is it mine?_

Seconds have passed and we stayed like this. At first, I feel confused. Weird. But now, I feel comfortable under his touch. I unconsciously bend my tensed fingers and let it relax at the back of his hand. He looks at me behind those brown strands then immediately turns his head at the other side.

"W-where are you looking at. Damnit." I grin at those words. I realize that it has been a while since I hear him cuss.

"Why, Romano?" I let out a small giggle. I want to tease him by using his nickname. "Don't tell me you never experienced holding hands before?"

"I've held different hands from different girls before! Damnit." He says as he turns to look at me with his flustered face. It's amazing to see someone blush like this even though his skin isn't as pale as some people from the north. "Damnit." He repeats the word as his bottom lip sticks out a bit.

"Different hands from different girls?" I ask, "But even your brother can hold a stranger's hand!" It's true. He can even hold Kiku's and Ludwig's hands. And even other girls' hands. And of course mine. But it's different. Still different. And this is also different.

"I'm not an idiot like my brother." He says.

"Your brother is not an idiot." I conclude. "He is just carefree and bubbly, but he's a kind person."

"Yeah right."

Silence fills the room. It's just the two of us with our fingers intertwined. I feel his warm touch slowly leaving my hand. I tighten my grip without even thinking. He looks at me with shock. I can feel the same heat on my flustered face.

"W-What?" I say. To tell the truth, I just don't know what reason to say. I can see his shoulders shaking as he covers his mouth with his other hand. "What now?!" I yank him with a throw pillow.

"Hey stop that, idiota!" he says as he tries to block my continuous hits.

"Make me!"

I regret those words. He grabs my wrist to stop me from hitting him. I try to slip my hand away but he pulls me back. He's still laughing. It's the first time I ever see him laugh like that. I realize that we're only inches apart. His right hand on left hand. His other hand on my wrist. That sudden pull before made me face him. And now, we're close. Close enough to see him clearly. It's my first time appreciating him in this distance.

I take a slight pause. His laughter stopped as his deep brown eyes met my (e/c) eyes. Is it just my imagination, or is he leaning closer? No. Those brown eyes. There's someone else I know who own those same eyes. Wait. It's different. They just have the same color. The one I know has bright, jolly eyes that can make anyone smile. This one's deep, mysterious, full of mixed emotions. I just want to dig it up only to see what he's thinking about. It's Exotic. Foreign.

_I can't._

"We're back!" Both of us pull away with our hands up-blushing madly as if we're doing something wrong. "Oh. I think we should go back." My mother says as she pulls back my father.

"N-no! I mean it's late." I say. "You're probably tired."

"By the way, mom, dad, would you like me to accompany you to your room?" Lovino asks. He says 'mom and dad' in a natural way. It makes me shiver. "I already placed your bags in the room, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not!" My father says. Lovino stands up to lead them to their room. Now to think of it there're only two rooms here. Which means. Wait. Is he pointing them to MY room?

"WAIT!"

"What's wrong, sweetie?" my mom asks.

"T-That's my room." I look at Lovino with a finger pointing at the door.

"So the two of you aren't sleeping in the same room yet? You're sharing an apartment in New York, right?"

"No!" I say. "I-I mean…"

"Amore mio is just so shy." I feel an arm wrap around my waist. "But we don't want mom and dad to sleep on the couch, right?"

_Amore._ Feli always calls me _bella._ Even though I'm aware of the situation. Even though it's not him. Why do I have this warm feeling inside of me?

_"Hey, say something."_ He whispers in his own language.

"Ah! Yes! You should probably sleep now. We'll just go to the other room." I punch him playfully at his side. "Right, honey?" I say the last part with a forced grin.

"These two love birds." My mom says as she giggles. "We're gonna meet your grandfather by tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, I already told him." Lovino says. We just stand still in front of them-waiting for the door to close.

"Aren't you going to your room?" My mother asks.

"Oh, I'm going to go first." I say. I rush to the other room and take a peek for one last time. "I'll just wait for you there, darling!" I say as I close the door.

"Wait for me mia carina!" Lovino says with a chuckle. "I better follow her, you should rest now." Lovino opens the door before waving goodnight to my parents.

"Buona notte!"

Then he closes the door in rush.

"Wow, they have a lot of nicknames for each other."

"Just like us when we were at their age." My mother chuckles as they enter their room.

_

His room is clean. He has this big bed with lots of pillows. I take a step backwards but then I felt the edge of his oak table at the small of my back. I turn to see its wooden surface and a lampshade at its corner-inspecting it further I notice a small jewelry box at the side. The box is a small, thin wooden box whose color seems to be blending with the table. How could a man own something like this?

"Aren't you going to sleep?" I roll my eyes to Lovino.

"WHERE am I going to sleep?"

"On the bed? If you are generous enough you can sleep on the floor." He says with a hint of sarcasm.

"Where are YOU going to sleep?"

"Well, it's my bed after all."

"What?! I'm not sleeping with you!"

"Okay then, _amore_" He jumps to his bouncy bed as he wraps his arms around his pillow. "Buona notte."

"I can't believe you!"

"Are you going to sleep or not?" He rests the side of his head on his palm while looking intently at me-as if he's striking a pose.

"Fine." I say as I glare at him. I lay my back on the soft mattress and stay like that for seconds.

"Idiota."

"I have a name, Romano."

"How long have you been sharing a room with that pasta-eating bastard?" It seems like he forces those words out of his mouth. His cheeks are bright red just like last time. He looks like he's going to explode. "It's not like I'm interested or something. Damnit."

"For almost four months" To tell the truth nothing happened on those four months. With Feliciano Vargas? Nope, nothing at all. He's just that sweet Feli.

"Four months..."

"Why did you ask?"

"Nothing. Damnit. Just nothing."

"Then I'll ask you something."

"Okay?"

I take another look at the jewelry box-noticing its ornate design at the side before shifting my position to look at him.

"What's with that box?"

"Oh, that one." He says. His expression changes as he rolls his eyes to the wooden box. "It's nothing. It's not mine, anyway." He looks hurt. What's with the box? What's in the box? Could it be...

"Is it your girlfriend's?"

_No response._

"Is it?"

"It's just not mine. Goddamnit." He covers his face with his pillow. :"I just can't tell the whole story now."

Can't tell the whole story? He just aroused my curiosity with that line. I see him peek from his pillow- his odd curl sticking out from it. Feli has the same thing, but I never asked what's the purpose of that? Did they actually try to cut it down?

"Why _amore_? Are you jealous?" I can feel his teasing smirk even though I can't see his face because of the pillow. But damn him and his way of picking up on girls!

I hate it. I do, right?

The way he emphasizes that word. _Amore_

It makes me feel weird.

Without any hesitation I pull his curl. I'm determined to cut it down or tear it from his head. I see his startled reaction. I pull his curl harder, only causing him to get pulled as well.

_BAM!_

We fall out of balance. Both of us groan in pain. Our bodies hit the cold floor. It hurts. But not too much. There is something soft at the back of my head. I can feel something heavy above me. I can feel a smooth cloth brushing past my foot.

I slowly open my eyes only to notice his arm supporting my head and his other hand supporting his weight. His face is blushing. His teeth are clenching. I can feel his heavy breaths and the rise and fall of his chest as he pants lightly.

"Ch-Chigi." His dark brown eyes turn to look at mine. I begin to count how many times I seen this eyes up close. This time. Closer. "Idiota. Don't you do something as_dangerous_ as that next time." His husky voice flooded my thoughts. What does he mean by dangerous? Is it the curl? or being clumsy? or my curiosity?

Then he pull away. We both sit up. He's kind. Yes. Now I understand. This moment, I can read him like a book. Behind that cussing, grumpy Italian, there is a vulnerable man who hides a lot of secrets. Secrets which I am going to know soon. I'm still confused about the box. _Still._

"Just sleep now. Damnit. It's late." He ruffles my hair. His expression since the time I asked him about the box didn't change. He looks hurt. I walk back to his bad and cover myself with his blanket. _It smells like tomatoes._ I placed a pillow at the center, then I opened my cellphone.

_(Name),  
How are you and Lovino? I hope you're not that pressured with the act. I see, big brother Antonio is a really cheerful guy, you should get used to it!_

About my fratello's cussing? It's just the way he expresses his self. But he's a kind person. He just can't show it. No one can actually control his temper and his words except for her!

But guess what, Ludwig asked me what I wanted for dinner and he didn't complained when I told him that I want to have pasta! We had Tortellini and Fettuccine, last night we had Lasagna. Ludwig is very kind.

By the way, the doctor told me that it will be months before I can completely walk. I've got to rest now. Ciao, bella!  
-Feliciano

The second paragraph intrigued me the most. _Her?_ What does he mean by _her?_. I feel concerned yet intrigued by the things I saw this day. Maybe one day, I can ask him. He's right. Lovino is a kind person. I can see that bit by bit as well. I can be his friend. I turn back silently only to see him standing in front of his oak table. His fingers are slightly tracing the wooden box.

He's just awkward.

And me? I'm confused.

Of what?

I don't know. I'm just...

Confused.

* * *

Meanwhile at the other room at a certain time...

_BAM!_

"Told you they're in good terms." Mother says as she gives father a wink.

"People these days, they just can't wait." Father says before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**_Just to clear this one- Reader chan isn't in love with Roma yet :)) Just confused and awkward. It'll be months if it happens(In the story's time). I want it to be nice and slow. xD _**

**_To tell the truth this chapter isn't supposed to be here. xD It's supposed to be a part of the original chapter 3. But it's too long so I have to stop typing and cut it. So this one is mainly an introduction for the next chapter which will be entitled "Of Practices and Traditions around the World"_**

**_Oh this is going to be one extraordinary wedding. xD (Chapter 5)_**

**_What's with the box? O.o :)) _**

**_-Liane :3_**


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